How to get good cheap breakdown cover?

Rannoch · 12 Mar 2017 at 16:16

Buy cheap but twice. I'm with Nationwide and the AA.

Dav4 · 12 Mar 2017 at 17:32

thanks for all the help! after spending most of the day searching offers and looking at reviews etc i managed to get 12 months AA cover with Roadside assist, full UK recovery and free home start included for £89 as an offer to new customers :eek:

which i think is a good deal.
i did try quidco but i was not bothered waiting 90 days just for a few quid back and i doubt it would have been much beter than this deal anyway.

M1k3H · 12 Mar 2017 at 18:17

Vargas said:
Not always. A repair could cost 100s, and you have to pay, if you refuse your stuck. If you break down at 6am you could be in that garage miles from home all day.

So, by 6am, you are 100s of miles away from your house and/or garage where you have a warranty? A days' holiday ruined also costs 100s, so I would rather pay a couple 100s to get my car fixed at the local garage rather than, in your scenario, spend a few hours getting towed back to a garage to get a free repair, and have to re-book holiday days etc.

Your scenario is very improbable, i.e. have a car with full warranty on every component, and be driving 100s of miles away prior to 6am, and to get cover for it would likely cost more than £45 a year, especially when you include the other services that come with the account.

Cleisthenes · 12 Mar 2017 at 18:21

Have a look at Flux Rescue form Adrian Flux. I used it with the Alfa and it was very good. It uses local recovery people rather than official company vans (AA/RAC etc) so if you'd rather not that then it won't be for you I wouldn't think.

User Name: · 12 Mar 2017 at 20:49

Dav4 said:
i did try quidco but i was not bothered waiting 90 days just for a few quid back and i doubt it would have been much beter than this deal anyway.

Quidco payout for an £89 policy would have been £40 according to their site.

All you had to do was log in to Quidco, buy your breakdown cover and £40 would pop up in your bank account in a few months time. £49 for the breakdown cover.

b0rn2sk8 · 12 Mar 2017 at 21:05

mrk said:
Oh? When my next renewal comes through, I will personally hold you responsible when they turn around and say they cannot lower the quote any further.

The only car related service provider I can easily get big deals on is car insurance, for which Elephant is mostly excellent.

I have to agree with Fox on this one.

RAC matched my AA inc Quidco quote in Jan. They wanted me to sign for 18 months but the price/month was the same as the AA. The problem is I wasn't expecting it and had already bought the AA through Quidco so cancelled anyway because I couldn't be bothered to make another phone call.

Rannoch · 12 Mar 2017 at 21:10

M1k3H said:
So, by 6am, you are 100s of miles away from your house and/or garage where you have a warranty? A days' holiday ruined also costs 100s, so I would rather pay a couple 100s to get my car fixed at the local garage rather than, in your scenario, spend a few hours getting towed back to a garage to get a free repair, and have to re-book holiday days etc.

Your scenario is very improbable, i.e. have a car with full warranty on every component, and be driving 100s of miles away prior to 6am, and to get cover for it would likely cost more than £45 a year, especially when you include the other services that come with the account.

Yes, I get around and travel to remote locations. I don't have cheap cover.

Psycho Sonny · 13 Mar 2017 at 00:33

Vargas said:
Nationwide breakdown cover will only take your car to the nearest garage. If you break down 100 miles from home and you want it taken back home, they charge £2 a mile return, so £400

Nope.

I've called them out a few times.

If it's after say 5pm they will take you home since no garage is open. then in the morning take you to your garage of choice free of charge. i've had to do this quite a few times due to a recurring fault in the wifes car.

Nationwide flex plus is the best way to do this.

£120 a year for;

european breakdown cover for you and your partner (joint account) in any vehicle they are driving or a passenger in.

mobile phone insurance for up to 4 phones (joint account) within your household

worldwide travel insurance including the stuff you normally need to pay extra for, for both you and your partner

free additional 1 year warranty on brand new electrical items so long as you keep the receipt.

the last one is a bit meh, but individually european breakdown cover, mobile insurance for 4 phones plus the top travel insurance for 2 people alone would cost you £450 if you bought them all individually.

so long as they keep this account £10 per month I'll never leave

ubersonic · 13 Mar 2017 at 08:29

I have UK wide breakdown cover as part of my bank account, it costs £16 a month but that also includes mobile phone insurance, zero interest on overdraft under £250, worldwide travel insurance, preferential rates on currency conversion, preferential loans, etc.

joeyjojo · 13 Mar 2017 at 09:13

a1ex2001 said:
Been a happy autoaid customer for a few years now £45 last year and they have been fine when I've used them.

These guys following a recommendation on this forum, but never had to use them.

https://www.autoaidbreakdown.co.uk/

Armageus · 13 Mar 2017 at 09:19

Dav4 said:
thanks for all the help! after spending most of the day searching offers and looking at reviews etc i managed to get 12 months AA cover with Roadside assist, full UK recovery and free home start included for £89 as an offer to new customers which i think is a good deal.
i did try quidco but i was not bothered waiting 90 days just for a few quid back and i doubt it would have been much beter than this deal anyway.

So basically you paid full price despite everyone's suggestions?

meandu229 · 13 Mar 2017 at 09:24

ubersonic said:
I have UK wide breakdown cover as part of my bank account, it costs £16 a month but that also includes mobile phone insurance, zero interest on overdraft under £250, worldwide travel insurance, preferential rates on currency conversion, preferential loans, etc.

We have this also, works out even better on a joint account.
£10 a month for phone insurance for us both, travel insurance, no fees on withdrawing money and breakdown cover for both of us.

c1tro · 13 Mar 2017 at 11:20

It is free with some bank accounts (but you need to have some savings ;-)

)

Dav4 · 13 Mar 2017 at 15:15

Armageus said:
So basically you paid full price despite everyone's suggestions?

No full price for AA and RAC is £120 with nationwide recovery and home start. I got it for £89. smaller companies I had never heard of were wanting 70-80 pound for the same thing but I would rather go with the biggest breakdown company there is for a little extra.

Psycho Sonny · 13 Mar 2017 at 15:55

Dav4 said:
No full price for AA and RAC is £120 with nationwide recovery and home start. I got it for £89. smaller companies I had never heard of were wanting 70-80 pound for the same thing but I would rather go with the biggest breakdown company there is for a little extra.

why not go through quidco though?

all you need to do is click on a link. takes a 5 year old possibly 2 seconds to do that. you would have gotten £40 for the pleasure.

you literally just threw £40 away just because you couldn't be bothered to spend 2 seconds to click on a link? LMAO

Armageus · 13 Mar 2017 at 16:00

Dav4 said:
No full price for AA and RAC is £120 with nationwide recovery and home start. I got it for £89.

£89 is the "standard" price though (as no one generally buys it without a "new" customer deal - hence why people switch between AA/RAC/Greenflag to get "new" customer deals).

"Saving" £40 via quidco would effectively have made it £49 - that is a deal

koooowweeee · 5 Jun 2017 at 14:58

rather than making a new thread i thought i would ask in this one.

ive never used top cash back or quidco before. when i go on the site for break down cover, it directs me to the rac site, then i choose the cover i want it comes out at £159.98

top cash back says for fully paid breakdown policies with a value of £144 - £240.99
Exclusive Offer £78.24

so thats what i get back? do they just put it into my bank? are there any better sites/deals like this?

Armageus · 5 Jun 2017 at 15:01

koooowweeee said:
so thats what i get back? do they just put it into my bank? are there any better sites/deals like this?

Not used topcashback, but use Quidco for numerous purchases.

Yes that will be what you get back. With Quidco at least it "tracks" on your account after a day or two of purchase, and payment clears to your quicdo account after the retailers payback period (normally between 1-3 months) - you can then cash out to your bank account, paypal or via retailer vouchers.

Psycho Sonny · 5 Jun 2017 at 15:12

koooowweeee said:
rather than making a new thread i thought i would ask in this one.

ive never used top cash back or quidco before. when i go on the site for break down cover, it directs me to the rac site, then i choose the cover i want it comes out at £159.98

top cash back says for fully paid breakdown policies with a value of £144 - £240.99
Exclusive Offer £78.24

so thats what i get back? do they just put it into my bank? are there any better sites/deals like this?

i use quidco and the money sits in your quidco account until you cash it out.

you can cash it out in various different ways. paypal, bank account, amazon vouchers, etc.

if you choose amazon vouchers you usually get more money. e.g. if you get £100 cashback you usually get £105 in amazon vouchers. so it's worth getting vouchers over cash in the bank if you spend in the stores available often.

koooowweeee · 5 Jun 2017 at 15:21

Vehicle - 2 Vehicles
Roadside Rescue
Recovery
At Home
Onward Travel

You Pay:

One single
payment of:£144.98

is there a way to get it cheaper than that? thats RAC and ill get £78 back